Segalovich Family

Pablo Siegel, in 2009, tells about his family Segalovich from Rakow: "Four Siblings left Rakow before WWII. In Rakow the family name was Segalovich. Chaim and Rochl immigrated to the USA and modified the name to Siegel. In 1924 the USA closed its door to immigrants*. Yosef (Pablo's father) and Yudl  immigrated to Mexico in 1924 and modified their surname to Siegal. Family members that stayed in Russia perished in the Holocaust, either in Rakow where they were burnt by the Nazis in the Shul, or some who moved to another Shtetl (Ashmiyani I think) which is close to Rakow, were taken to the concentration camps, and all but one perished.

The only survivor from the camps that was still alive at the end of the war was Ira (Israel) Siegel, who after the war went to New York for 8 years to live with our Aunt Rochl, and after that my father brought him to Mexico where he got married. He is still alive, and he now lives in Tampa Florida. He is about 78 years old, and the only alive relative that was born in Rakow. "

More words by Pablo, 2009:

"I never met my grandparents, and they all passed away either before I was born or when I was a little kid, and as you know, communications between Rakov and Mexico City were non existing.

That is the reason why, when in one of our visits to New York about 5 years ago, visiting the Jewish archives  at 16 15th Street, we asked if they have an Izkor Book of Rakow. They did have it, and going through the pages, we saw this article ("About the Ruins of Rakov") in Yiddish (we both, my wife Eleanor and I can understand Yiddish) where able to read it, and when we read about my grandfather, as a matter of fact the only person mentioned individually, I felt chills all over my body.

We then asked for copies of the article, and proceeded to translate it for the benefit of our children. That is how we had the translation."

Rakov Sagalovich home on the right.

Pablo's Grandfather Rakov Pablo's grandfather in Rakow - 1936. He is one of the Martyrs, mentioned in the Yizkor Book, He was burnt alive in the shul by the Nazis.

Pablo's Grandfather Pablo's grandfather in his youth

Rakov Cemetery The grave of Pablo's grandmotherSara Sagalovich. The person next to the stone is the uncle that immigrated to the U.S. early in the 1900's and went to visit in 1936 and took the other pictures.

Rako, 1920 Pablo's father - Yosef Segalovich, 19 years old. Yosef immigrated to Mexico in 1924

Rakov, 1936 Yosef Segalovich's siblings The photo was taken by Pablo's uncle on his visit to Rakow in 1936